A Christmas Faggot

←Front matter

A Christmas Faggot  (1884)  by Alfred Gurney

A CHRISTMAS FAGGOT

by

ALFRED GURNEY, M. A.

Vicar of S. Barnabas’s, Pimlico

author of ’the vision of the eucharist and other poems’ etc.

’The Darling of the world is come, And fit it is we finde a roome To welcome Him. The nobler part Of all the house here is the heart, Which we will give Him, and bequeath  This hollie and this ivie wreath To do Him honour who’s our King. The Lord of all this revelling’ Herrick A Christmas Carol

LONDON

KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO., 1 PATERNOSTER SQUARE

1884

(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved)

TO

MY GODCHILDREN

ETHEL,	ALBINIA,
CYRIL,	BASIL,
BERTRAM,	WILFRID,
LOUISE,	HELEN,

ARTHUR.

When the Angel of the waters    With a gold and silver wing Gently stirred the wave baptismal,    Heard ye not their carolling Who of old to Eastern shepherds    Heralded their King? To the shepherds of His people    Still those angel-voices tell How God's river feeds the fountain    Opened by Emmanuel, Yielding the baptismal waters    Of salvation's well. Children, you have passed those waters.    Love-begotten from the dead; Will you make a gallant promise    When my verses you have read — 'We will trace life's lovely river    To the Fountain-head ' ?

Loch Leven : 1884. 

PREFACE. Most of the following poems have appeared in the ’S. Barnabas’ Parish Magazine.’ For my godchildren and my people I have made them up into a little bundle of sticks—a Christmas faggot to feed the fires in the winter palace of our King. It is the Incarnation that justifies all joy, and song is the expression of joy. The Gospel Songs all celebrate the Great Nativity. Birth and marriage are the occasions most sacred to mirth and music among men; and Christmas is at once the Birthday and the Marriage Festival of Humanity. Glad and thankful shall I be if any song of mine should help to fan the flame of rejoicing love in any Christian heart at this holy and happy season.

CONTENTS.

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yule tide	1
the madonna di san sisto	6
bethlehem gate	11
saint joseph	16
a cradle song	18
a cradled child	23
an empty cradle	26
new year’s eve	28
the victim	30
the daysman	33
the physician	36
the poet	40
three sisters	43
a christmas puzzle	46
four epiphanies	48
the children's eucharist	56
the gospel songs:
I. Benedictus	59
II. Magnificat	63
III. Nunc Dimittis	66
notes	69